Just got a Taurus 94... manual says not to dry fire?

U

unbeknownst

New member
Being this is my first gun, I was planning on dry firing a lot to hasten my accuracy, as many people point this out as a great thing to try. Is it really bad to dry fire this weapon? I don't want to do it if it may cause problems. Thanks for any info.
 
Hi, welcome to TFL. The solution to your problem is simple. The next time you are at the gun shop, get whats known as "snap caps". They are fake cartridges that provide a cushion for the firing pin to hit. Load up one of those, and dry fire away!!! There are many guns out there that you should not dry fire with nothing in the chamber, so you are not alone!!!:D I have the same problem with my Walther P5.:eek:
 
I guess no question is really a dumb one to ask... but this model has no de-cocking lever. What then is the reccomened way to de-cock it, as if it is loaded, and cocked, times may come when you can't or must not fire the round. thanks.
 
ubk, on your first range visit, save a bunch of your .22LR empties. You can then put them back into the chambers for dry-firing at home. Just rotate each shell a fraction each cylinderful so that the firing-pin has a 'fresh' section of the shell's rim to impact. From 4-6 hits on each empty should be workable. With .22s, it's not good to allow the firing-pin to hit the unprotected rim of each chamber.

With the hammer cocked, and the muzzle safely down range:

Put your weak-hand thumb up on the hammer spur and hold it with some tension. Squeeze the trigger to release the hammer. Immediately REMOVE your finger from the trigger, and allow your weak-hand thumb to 'ride' the hammer forward. The real answer to your question is to never cock the hammer if this gun is put to defensive use. The lighter cocked pull is much too easily touched-off in the heat-of-the-moment. Besides, after a little practice, you'll find that the DA pull won't slow you down any at all.:)

Oh, I heartily recommend you move up to a centerfire .38 as soon as your budget and abilities allow. That's simly because .22s are not known for 'stopping power'.:D
 
Thanks Victor. This is simply a gun to learn to shoot with... nothing else. Can't carry concealed here in Ohio, and I also just got a Kahr P40, as I am embarking on a law enforcement career. The Kahr will serve as an off-duty piece, though I would like to get a lot of good pratice with the .22 to compliment my learning.
 
Welcome to TFL, and congratulations on your purchase.

Some advice I have heard from several sources, is that centerfire arms are usually okay to dryfire, but rimfire arms can suffer firing pin damage if dryfired.
 
THANKS for

....thinking enough about your LE job to become a
good shot. At my local range the cops have to
practice at 10 feet as they only shoot 4 times a year and we would all be safer if they were not armed.

The .22LR is also known as a RimFire as the hammer
touches off the primer on the rim of the case. With no case to come in contact with the pin will
contact with the cylinder. Thanks again...dewey
 
get snap caps if you must but using old brass can be dangerous.gos agenst your insticts to fire a gun that you can see brass in.
 
Taurus 94 dry fire

I've had a 94 for several years. I don't remember the manual advising against dry firing (can't find it now to double check) and I would have followed that advice if it was the wisdom then. As a result I have dry fired mine a lot over the years with no sign of damage. I had a S&W 22/32 kitgun for many years and dry fired it, too, without concern. It's possible Taurus is now advising against it just to be safe and to avoid even the remotest chance of breakage. A little more digging is in order. The revolver has a transfer bar that seems to minimize the chance of firing pin breakage. Obviously feedback from more Taurus 94 owners will give us a better consensus. As a side note I dry fire my Ruger Single Six rimfire with impunity, it has a transfer bar, too. Maybe I'm reading the transfer bar mechanism incorrectly, sure would like some well thought out feedback based on experience.
 
Dryfiring a rimfire can be done, but it does run the risk of deforming the firing pin as it slams into the cylinder. If you do it often enough, you may have misfires, as the firing pin does not reach forward enough to cause primer ignition. It really isn't too much about breaking the firing pin, but about denting it to the point it is too short to provide reliable service.

Centerfire pistols are generally ok, with the exception of the Luger design and a few others, but snap caps are the BEST bet. I personally like the Armsport variety, as they are bright red plastic with a brass base and an internal spring that you can see. A quick glance into the pistol confirms the presence of a snap cap. I also have another variety that looks like a brown cartridge. The only difference between it and a real cartridge [from looks] is the color. I always have to triple check to see if it is real or snap cap. Armsport makes a .22 snap cap also, but it is just pure plastic. I have gone through two packets, as the edge just gets mutilated over time, where the spring of a centerfire snapcap absorbs that impact.

We can always get away with more than we should, but I prefer to be careful.
 
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